AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has called on relevant stakeholders to keep fighting against HIV/AIDS, a pandemic that has been raging for over 30 years.
Terri Ford, AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy in a statement noted that “COVID-19 has justifiably stolen the headlines, but we must not forget the pandemic that has been raging for more than three decades and still affects millions of people globally.”
He added that “It’s absolutely vital that world leaders also keep their attention on HIV this World AIDS Day and beyond—and campaigns like ‘AIDS: The Other Pandemic’ are just one way to urge them to keep the promise on AIDS.”
‘’More than ever, the need for concerted effort from all of us to put an end to AIDS by 2030 cannot be over emphasized, while this must be seen as a shared responsibility by every stakeholder” said Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF – Nigeria Country Program Director.
‘‘It is only when we are united that we will be able to end AIDS even amidst Covid-19.’’
World AIDS Day (WAD) is celebrated December 1, annually and to commemorate the 2020 event, AHF unveiled a timely new theme – “AIDS: The Other Pandemic.”
This theme and corresponding logo serve as a reminder to the world that even in times of COVID-19, HIV/AIDS must be kept high on the global public health agenda because it still claims hundreds of thousands of lives every year says Steve Aborisade the organisation’s Advocacy and Marketing manager in Nigeria.
He noted that AHF will be hosting a multitude of commemorations, including virtual and a few social-distanced live events to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses, to raise public awareness and also hold free testing services in: Abuja, Kogi, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Benue and Nasarawa.
The orgniastaion called on government, donors to contribute give their fair share to improve on and continue HIV prevention efforts because the global AIDS response still consistently falls short each year by up to $6 billion of what is needed to sufficiently fund efforts around the world – this gap will likely widen further with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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